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The Olympic Flame for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will be lit and handed over at a ceremony at Athens\u2019 iconic Panathenaic Stadium on Thursday, September 10, at 11:30 a.m., in the presence of International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry.<\/p>\n
Admission to the public will be free, with spectators required to arrive by 11:20 a.m. The ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will be broadcast live by Greece\u2019s public broadcaster ERT.<\/p>\n
The ceremony will carry particular symbolism as it will mark the first event held at the Panathenaic Stadium while work continues to replace its running track and clean its marble surfaces.<\/p>\n
The Youth Olympic Games follow a separate protocol under which the lighting and handover of the Olympic Flame take place during the same ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium. The Kallimarmaro, a landmark of modern Olympic history, will once again bring together Greece\u2019s Olympic heritage and a new generation of athletes from around the world.<\/p>\n
Artemis Ignatiou has taken responsibility for the artistic direction and choreography of the Priestesses\u2019 ritual, while actress Katerina Mischroni will take on the role of High Priestess for the first time.<\/p>\n
Marios Ioannou Elia composed the music for the ceremony, while internationally acclaimed Greek designer Mary Katrantzou designed the Priestesses\u2019 costumes.<\/p>\n
Sports journalist Pinelopi Gioni will present the ceremony, representing a new generation of journalists and bringing a contemporary perspective to the event.<\/p>\n
Greece\u2019s National Cheerleading Team will open the artistic programme, featuring the Aposperides team, European champions in Cheer Hip Hop in 2025 and 2026, and the Amazones team, which has earned major international distinctions in Cheer Pom.<\/p>\n
Senegal, which will host the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, will be represented by singer Kya Loum. She will present a live cultural performance and sing the Senegalese national anthem.<\/p>\n
The ceremony will also feature 18 young athletes from the Lavrio Sports Club, who will carry the flags. Athina Andreadi will perform the Olympic anthem, while the children\u2019s and youth choir ROSARTE, conducted by Rozi MastroSavva, will perform the Greek national anthem.<\/p>\n
Dr Konstantinos Pantazis will coordinate the ceremony under the supervision of Thomas Toka, President of the Olympic Torch Relay Committee, overseeing the smooth delivery and coordination of the event\u2019s various elements.<\/p>\n
Hellenic Olympic Committee President Isidoros Kouvelos will hand the Flame to Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, President of the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee, marking the beginning of its journey to Senegal.<\/p>\n
The Flame will then travel to Dakar, where the Youth Olympic Games will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026.<\/p>\n
The Dakar 2026 Games will have historic significance as they will mark the first time that the African continent hosts an Olympic event of this scale.<\/p>\n
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